Chair(s): |
Michael WENTZEL, United States |
Secretary: |
Redouane EL GHALBZOURI (redouane.elghalbzouri@oecd-nea.org) |
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Member(s): | All NEA member countries* | ||
Russia (Suspended*) | |||
*Russian Federation suspended pursuant to a decision of the OECD Council. | |||
EU participation: |
The European Union (EU) takes part in the work of the NEA, in accordance with the NEA Statute and the Supplementary Protocol to the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. | ||
Participant(s): |
India | ||
Observer(s)(International Organisation): |
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) By agreement | ||
Date of creation: | 01 January 2023 | ||
End of mandate: | 31 December 2025 |
Mandate (Document reference):
Mandate (Document extract):
Extract of document NEA/SEN/NRA(2022)4
Background
Effective policy development and implementation ensures that the regulator and the industry it regulates meet the expectations of society at large. Policy decisions can span multiple disciplines and can often involve complex technical, organizational and social issues that affect many stakeholders. The amount of discretion granted to regulatory bodies to set policy varies from country to country and in all cases, nuclear policies must fit within the boundaries established by the country’s legal framework.
Examples of policy questions faced by regulators include, but are not limited to, the following:
In the context of this mandate, “licensing” refers to the act of a regulatory body determining whether a request from a licensee or applicant complies with all applicable requirements (e.g., laws, regulations, policies). When making a licensing decision, the regulatory body must decide whether to permit an action or set of actions by a licensee or applicant.
Examples of licensing decisions faced by regulators (include, but are not limited to) determining:
In the context of this mandate, “policy” refers to regulatory positions on important safety and regulatory matters. Policy development is a strategic function typically performed by the most senior levels of regulatory bodies.
Mandate
The WGPL is responsible for supporting and advising the Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities (CNRA) in carrying out its programme of work areas related to regulatory activities in the area of policymaking and licensing methods.
Scope
The WGPL provides a mechanism for nuclear safety regulators and Technical Support Organizations (TSOs) to share their experiences in making policy and licensing decisions.
Focusing on issues related to policy and licensing for both operating nuclear reactors and proposed new reactors (including those under construction) in NEA member and partner countries, the WGPL aims to facilitate an active and timely exchange of commendable practices, as well as lessons learned to help regulators perform their policy and licensing functions more effectively and efficiently.
Objectives
The WGPL will collect and analyse information so that it can develop and disseminate:
Working methods
The WGPL will:
Membership
The WGPL will be comprised of senior international experts from regulatory bodies and TSOs.
Interactions
The WGPL will closely co-ordinate with and provide input to other NEA bodies, especially other CNRA working groups. It will work closely with the Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI), the Committee on Radiological Protection and Public Health (CRPPH), and other NEA groups (e.g., Forum on Stakeholder Confidence) to deeply investigate specific technical, organizational or societal issues that are identified during the WGPL analysis.
The WGPL will co-ordinate as appropriate with other international organisations [e.g. the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the European Commission, standards development organisations, etc.) and international non-governmental organisations (e.g. World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO), Western Europe Nuclear Regulators’ Association (WENRA), the WNA Cooperation in Reactor Design Evaluation and Licensing Working Group (CORDEL) etc.].
Deliverables
The WGPL will produce guidance documents for nuclear safety regulators and other stakeholders interested in commercial nuclear power. Examples include, but are not limited to, green booklets, proceedings of seminars and workshops, collections of commendable practices implemented by regulatory bodies, case studies, and summaries of operating experience.